Switch



July 7, 1 925.

R. J. HALL s'virrca Filed Oct. 29, 1923 "10mins Patented Juiy 7,1!)...5.

UNITED STATES RAY J. HALL, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH.

Application filed October 29, 1923.

To all 20177, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY J. IIALL, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches, of which thefollowing is a full clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to improvements in I switches, and it consists inthe combinations,

constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which a switch for closing an electric cir cuit by placinga coin thereupon is provided by the use of metal cloth in which themetal threads are insulated from one another. This cloth is well knownin the art of weaving.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed which may be operated on the ordinary household lightingcircuit with either alternating or direct current.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed that is simple in construction, durable, and which isthoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings Forming part ofthis ap plication, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of theelectrical circuit, employed in the invention, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the electricalcircuit used in this modification of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I employ a coin operated switch of thedirect contact type. This switch consists in a piece of metal cloth 10comprising a plurality of parallel metal threads interwoven withnonmetallic threads. A pair of spaced apart contact metal plates 11 and12 are disposed at one end of the strip of metal cloth 10. The plates 11and 12 are provided with slaggered teeth 13 and 14 respectively so thatthe teeth 13 and 1 1- alternatcly touch adjacent ends of the metalthreads in the cloth 1(), thereby dividing the cloth into a plurality ofmetal strips of conductors alternately Serial No. 671.628.

connected with the metal plates 11 and 12. A retaining ring 15 isprovided for securing the cloth 10 in an aperture provided in the bottomwall of a receptacle. In this manner a coin dropped into the receptaclewill slide upon the metal cloth 10 within the ring 15 and short circuitthe plates 11 and 12.

Referring now to Figure 1 I provide a transformer having a primarywinding 16 and a secondary winding 17. The winding 16 is connected bymeans of conductors 18 directly to a source of alternating current. Thesecondary winding 17 is connected with one terminal to the contact plate11 by means of a conductor 19. The opposite terminal of the secondarywinding is connected by means of a conductor 20 to one of a pair ofmagnet coils 21 which are connected in series with one another. Theopposite terminal of the magnet coils 21 is connected by means of aconductor 22 to the plate 12.

A soft iron armature 29 pivotally mounted at adjacent the magnet coils21 so that when the coils 21 are energized, the armature 29 is drawndownwardly toward the coils 21. The armature 29 may be connected to anyswitch or mechanical mechanism that it is desired to operate when a coinis placed in the receptacle.

A switch having terminals 24 and 25 is connected in series with acircuit 26 27 and 28, including a lamp 7 which circuit is connected tothe current supply 18. A hammer 31 is supported upon the armature 29. sothat when the armature 29 is drawn downwardly it will close the switch21 23, and actuate the lamp 7.

From the 'loregoing description of the various parts oi the device, theoperation there of may be readily understood.

\Vhen a coin is permitted to slide into the receptacle and upon thecloth 10 within the ring 15, current may pass from the winding 17 ot thetransformer, across the short circuit of the plate 11 and 12 and throughthe coils 21. This will cause the armature 29 to be drawn downward, andthereby actuate a switch or any mechanism connected thereto.

hen the coin is removed from the receptacle the magnet coils 21 willbecome deenergized and permit the armature 25) to assume its normalposition.

In Figure 2 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which a drycell 40 is used to replace the transformer, Obvious- 1y a transformercould not be used With a direct current circuit since it is necessary tohave alternating current to cause proper functioning of the transformer.I therefore connect the magnet coils 21 and the plates 11 and 12 in theindependent circuit deriving its source of current from the dry cell l0.This is done by the use of Wires 41, 42, and 43 which replace the Wires22, l!) and 20.

The operation of this form of the invention is precisely the same as thepreferred form with the exception that the magnet coils 1 operate fromcurrent supplied by the dry cell 40 instead of a transformer such as atransformer having a secondary Winding 17.

I do not there fore consider myself confined to the particularembodiment of my invention herein described.

I claim:

A switch of the character described comprising a fabric of insulatingmaterial having a plurality of metal threads parallel With one anotherinterwoven in said fabric a pair of connecting meml'icrs each of saidmembers having spaced apart teeth staggered With resp ct to one anotherwhen said members are spaced one above the other, said members beingdisposed so that the teeth thereof may engage With alternate portions ofsaid fabric whereby alternate strips of said metal threads are connectedWith each of the conducting members, and an electrical circuit includingsaid members whereby a metal coin or the like placed upon said fah ricmay short circuit said alternate strips of threads to close saidcircuit.

RAY J. HALL.

